Free Standing Deck Construction Guide

When building a free standing deck adjacent to a house how close should the footings be to the homes existing foundation.

Free standing deck construction guide.

It can also be a demanding job so carefully plan the amount of decking you ll need and enlist any helping hands that you can. Here s a plan for both a freestanding deck and an attached deck that measures 8x10. We ll also give you ideas for furnishing and decorating your new deck. Deck boards are typically 5 1 2 inches wide so try to plan a deck size that won t leave narrow pieces at the ends.

Joist span joists attached at house and to side of beam. Deck framing connection guide 3 more than a million decks are built and replaced each year in the united states. Freestanding deck plan from humboldt redwood. That can cause problems especially with wood decks.

This guide covers how to build a ground level platform as well as a single story raised deck. Building a deck in your outdoor space can enhance your home s options for entertaining and relaxation. Once you have a basic layout bring it to lowe s to have an associate put together professional deck plans and a materials list. Thickness of each joist.

Create a place to entertain or simply relax. While decks are a popular feature of many homes the construction and safety of decks have become a real concern within the building industry. Mike 7 28 2016 3 03 40 pm reply. This free plan is all ready to go in one pdf file that includes building instructions diagrams and blueprints.

Learn how to create deck designs and how to build a deck. Prescriptive residential wood deck construction guide 5 american wood council figure 1b. Beam size assembly requirements deck beam spans shall be in accordance with table 3 and can extend past the post face up to l b 4 as shown in figure 3. Whatever you do don t skimp on materials i e.

Most builders install a beam and a row of footings 2 feet from the house wall. Joist span non ledger deck. Mike m 7 17 2016 1 09 31 am reply. Improper deck building has resulted in a growing number of deck failures.

This series of videos and step by step instructions breaks building a wood or composite deck into manageable parts. The traditional way most builders go about building a deck is to randomly stagger joints. If you build decks inspect decks are planning to build a deck or just want some great info on how to properly build a deck download this free guide from the american wood council reuben saltzman structure tech home inspections. The prescriptive residential wood deck construction guide is fantastic.

Using 4 by 4 posts when building a freestanding deck. For example i constructed each beam from 2 by 10 boards laminated together to form a big brawny 4 by 10. In fact for this kind of construction it s best to over build the deck.